


I Will Always Find You

by daisystars, xscullyx



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Royalty AU, character tags tbd, clouis au, twdg au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25777657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisystars/pseuds/daisystars, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xscullyx/pseuds/xscullyx
Summary: Young prince Louis has spent majority of his young life confined in his castle walls. Eager to get out and see what lays in the village below, he defies one of his father's many rules.When he meets a lonesome baker down below, he quickly learns he'll have to break a couple more rules just to keep her safe from the kingdom's enemy.
Relationships: Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	I Will Always Find You

Life as a prince had its ups and downs. Mainly downs, according to Louis. He hated the life he was given. He hated the feeling of being a prisoner in his own castle, even though he knew very well he wasn’t one. He hated being a prince. Sure; living off of luxurious foods, comfortable seating and the safe walls was always nice and the lush parties were sometimes fun (on the rare occasions his father actually threw a party), but he never got to do the stuff he wanted to do. Things royalty must give up for a life of nobility and politics; explore the world, try out unfamiliar things, all of it. His father was the strictest man he knew, always wanting him to stay in the palace walls and never to venture out into the unknown. _“We have to focus on strengthening our alliance with other countries, Louis. The people down there can’t help us.”_

But that was all changing today.

The freckled boy was out on his balcony, his body pressed up close to the marble railings as the sun fully appeared in the morning sky. His chin rested in the palms of his hands while he stared off at the village below the castle. He could just barely hear the heartwarming sounds of laughter ring out into the air. His heart itched to go join the people in the streets, laugh along with them and tell jokes to one another. He wanted some freedom for once in his life. Just one day to himself, where he could meet some new people and have a smile on his face. That's all he wanted.

One day, that's all he wanted. One day to explore the town down below and get a taste of what freedom is like. And that's what he was going to give himself. His father wouldn't let him out? No problem, Louis knew the ins and outs of the castle like no one else. Sneaking out was child’s play and he could just as easily return before the old man even finds out that his son went outside the palace walls. It was as simple as that. So here Louis was, a rope composed of his finest clothing in his palms as he tied it to the railing of his balcony. 

The boy took a deep breath, his palms shaking at the realisation. _He was finally doing this._ Soon he was climbing down the wall onto the grass below, no more than a minute later he successfully made it down to the soft ground, leaving the rope of clothes behind as he ran off towards the path that led down to the village, making sure to keep a trained eye at his surroundings. Guards were posted just about everywhere, day and night. But being confined to the same castle all your life gets boring, Louis had memorised their routines by the time he could understand calculus. It was quite the walk, but Louis didn't mind. The scenery was gorgeous, trees fully in bloom and flowers scattered in freshly green bushes surrounding the path. It was calming, refreshing. Deep inside, Louis wished he had ventured out sooner.

Before he knew it, the young prince had reached the village. Sounds of deep conversations and joyful laughter filled his ears as he scanned around the place in awe. It wasn’t dull, unlike his home up in the castle. He grew up around the same grey stones, the same faces in the paintings. Nothing new ever entered his home. But down here, it was well alive. Color was splattered everywhere. Kids ran by the boy as they chased each other around with little twigs scratching at their palms, the surrounding market bursting with life as the freckled boy traveled around. Goods were being sold, conversations were being made, and everyone had a smile on their face. The sight made Louis join in, branding the biggest smile he had yet to date.

Louis explored _everywhere_. Every shop, every convention, anything that caught his eye. Which was everything. A smile kept itself plastered on his face the entire time. This feeling of seeing the light and joy was near awe inspiring. He was finally free for once, even if it just was for a day. What a beautiful day though. The exciting experience of getting out of his home and venturing down to the mysterious place below finally broke those invisible chains that have held him down all these years. He had the ability to do whatever he wished. Where to even begin?  
  
The boy had swiftly turned a corner when a certain sound tickled his ears, making him stop dead in his tracks. Singing. Singing echoed through the streets all around him. A sweet melody, one the people of the village seemed to be used to hearing, since they didn’t get attached to the sound easily and continued with their chores, unlike Louis. It grew louder and louder the further the young prince traveled towards the source the noise coming from. Soon it led him down towards a dainty bakery, one at the edge of town. Flowers hung in little pots that dangled in front of the windows, with the door wide open and for accepting customers.

The singing was unreal. It was nothing Louis had ever heard before. It was soft, calming, not overpowering like the rest of the sounds coming from the centre of town. It was like a lullaby, something Louis’ mother would hum to him at night when he was just a toddler to make all the bad thoughts of someone potentially breaking in go away. It had a secret meaning to it, ready to be revealed. Louis felt himself walking closer and closer to the noise, ending up inside the small bakery. 

The smell of fresh-baked bread and icing topped cupcakes invaded his senses the moment he was inside. His eyes dragged around the shop, gazing at its warm colors and relaxing ambiance that shed off the walls. Cream-colored tables and chairs scattered all around the shop, but no one sat at them. The bakery was empty, no words were spoken. Except the singing.

A curly-haired girl was behind the counter, her back facing Louis, unaware of his presence. She was busy preparing what seemed to be a cake, stirring a bowl of batter delicately in her hands as she remained focused. Flour and cake batter was smudged all over her once pristine light pink apron. Luckily, her delicate, soft, knee length green dress was still perfectly clean. Louis had never been so mesmerized by something in his entire life. Sure, the high ceilings and glossy floors planned out in the castle caught most eyes, but it was nothing compared to this. He could sit down and listen to this girl’s enchanting vocal chords for hours.

Louis unconsciously drew closer to the counter so he could hear the singing clearer. His elbows rested on the countertop, chin sitting in his palms as he paid his full attention to the brunette. 

When the mystery girl turned around, her golden eyes widened at the sight of a boy on the other side of the counter. Her singing came to a complete stop upon laying eyes on him, a yelp of surprise instead coming out of her. She tightly gripped the bowl she was previously stirring in, staring at the boy before her in silence.

“Ah- sorry!” Louis instantly apologized, him too being briefly shocked since she turned so quickly. But he also wasn’t expecting the girl to be _this_ pretty. “I just- I um- I blame your singing! Yes, your singing. It’s quite beautiful.” He stuttered out, ending off his awkward greeting with a smile.

The short girl remained silent for a few moments before eventually clearing her throat. “Uh… thank you. That’s uh- very kind of you.” She muttered before placing the bowl down, wiping her flour coated hands on her apron.

“You’re very welcome!” Louis grinned. “I don’t understand why such beautiful talent isn’t drawing in more… uh, what’s it called?” He muttered the last part under his breath, panicking when he saw the girl in front of him raise a brow. “Cus- customers! Yes, customers. Pfft, I totally knew that.” Louis leaned his elbow against the marble counter, trying his best to act as cool as possible. 

“Right…” The brunette hesitantly spoke. “Well, most of the townspeople are used to it, so they don’t really mind it.”

“Well, maybe they should!” He called out, his expressive voice echoing throughout the entire bakery. “Your voice is wonderful and people should hear it!”

The girl just stared at him, mouth hung ajar slightly, lost for words to such kindness. She had just met this guy and he was already complimenting her? What an interesting start to her day. “Did you, uh, want to buy something?” She eventually spoke up, gesturing to the display that she had organised that morning. She couldn’t help however getting a good look at the boy in front of her, eyeing his well kept together clothing and how it neatly fitted him. Who the heck was he? His face was new, perhaps a visitor from out of town?  
  
“Oh- sure,” Louis kneeled down to look at the wide selection of treats. His eyes twinkled at the sight of cakes and pies laid out and waiting to be eaten. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by such handiwork, not even the chefs back up in the castle could make such delicate pastries. “I’ll take… that.” He gestured out to a small apple pie in the far corner.  
  
The brunette was quick on her feet, her curls bouncing a bit off her shoulders to grab something that’ll hold the treat. “That’ll be just two silver coins please.” She mustered out as she took a small clear pouch, made entirely from chiffon, and put the pie inside it.  
  
Aimlessly reaching into his pocket, Louis gripped out some coins, not caring in particular which ones he grabbed and slid them onto the counter. “Here you go, should cover it all.”  
  
The freckled boy was so busy being fond of the pie in the pouch that he never caught sight of the girl’s raw shock.  
  
“You- uh, sir,” She fumbled out as she opened her palm revealing the shiny coins. “You just gave me four gold coins.”  
  
Louis finally glanced up, and saw he did in fact give her four gold coins. “So?” He shrugged.  
  
“So-” She stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy for real? Were these coins real? “I only need two silver coins sir…”  
  
“Oh nonsense, take the coins,” Louis casually said. “And keep the change, consider it a gift of good faith.”  
  
The girl stared at the boy for a moment before hesitantly accepting the coins. “Okay… if you insist.”  
  
“I greatly insist.”  
  
The brunette smiled, slipping the coins into a box beneath the counter. God, what was so special about this girl that made Louis’ heart flutter? Just her simple smile was enough to make him want to stay for longer.

She was so occupied in staring at the boy in front of her, trying to figure out his deal, she had no clue where she was walking to and ran straight into a jar full of flour. It crumbled down to the floor with a soft thud and spilled everywhere, including her already dirty apron. Her golden eyes widened to the sight, quick to rush to the incident.  
  
“Fuck!” She blurted out, first tackling the mess on the floor. Such language made Louis cough on his own spit. “Mother fucking jesus! I swear this shitty jar is no fucking good!”  
  
Louis had been so caught up in the girl’s sudden parade of curses that he nearly forgot to lend her a hand, snapping out of his shocked trance and strolling over to the brunette with great speed. “Jeez, are you okay, miss?”  
  
“Mhm, yeah I’m okay… but…” Her hand gestured to the mess around them. “Fuck, I hate that stupid ass jar! Total bitch, it’s not fucking strong enough.”  
  
There it was again. That line of cursing. No one in the castle spoke like that, then again no one ever really spoke to each other. “That was hot.”  
  
“Yeah I know it’s-” She suddenly paused mid-sentence, slowly glancing over at the boy beside her. “I’m sorry, did you just say that was hot?”  
  
Uh oh. Ooh no. Louis was in trouble. _Big_ trouble. “Oh- I uh- what I meant was-” He stumbled upon his words, sweat gradually slipping down his forehead when he saw the girl raise a brow. Again. “You! You’re- you’re um- hot!”  
  
The brunette gawked at him, a faint blush creeping up her face. “I- come again?”  
  
_Crap! Think of something fast, Lou!_ “Uhhh- your clothes! You look- you look hot! In those clothes! Since it’s super warm outside-! Summer! And you uh- also look very lovely in them-”  
  
Thinking he was for sure about to get kicked out, Louis looked to the floor. He wasn’t expecting her to erupt in laughter. A full belly laugh to boot. Louis didn’t care that she was most likely laughing at him, he was just so drawn to the noise. That laugh… it made him feel good inside. Like he had just received a tower of chocolates, but better. Much, much better. He wanted to cherish that sound. He wanted to hear it again. He wanted to be able to make this girl laugh, since she was the only one who has ever bursted out laughing around him. At least a heartful laugh, that is.  
  
Soon the laughter died down, the brunette wiping away a stray tear. “God- I haven’t laughed like that in forever…” She chuckled softly before catching sight of the situation at hand. “Crap- um, give me a minute and I’ll have this all cleaned up.”  
  
“Yes ma’am!” Louis stepped aside, letting the fine lady do her thing. He wished to inch closer and help the girl as she cleaned, but he knew very well he didn’t have a single clue to what she was doing. Hell, he didn’t even know what she was holding in her hands to clean up the scattered flour. Soon enough, one minute to be exact, the girl finished tackling the flour off the floor, sighing to herself while setting her hands on her hips.  
  
“Thank god that’s dealt with.”  
  
“Right,” Louis awkwardly fidgeted with his foot. “Sooo… um, what now?”  
  
“What now? I gotta get back to work,” The girl almost continued, but paused, glancing over at the now empty flour jar, choosing to ignore the large crack spiraling up through the glass. That’s a future problem. “Or actually… I need to get more flour from the market.”  
  
_The market. That’s it!_ “Oh- what a funny coincidence! I have to go to the market too!”  
  
“Oh really?” The brunette smiled. “Well that’s nice, we can go together.”  
  
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Louis strolled over to the door of the bakery, gesturing out. “After you?”  
  
The girl giggled, grabbing a wicker basket and strolling on outside. “Why thank you, kind sir.”  
  
“Anything for such a fine lady,” He trotted on out of the bakery while sending her a wink, which sent her into another set of giggles as she closed up the bakery for the time being. “Oh! Jeez, how rude of me. I never asked your name.”  
  
She smiled. “Clementine.”  
  
Louis shyly smiled back. “Clementine! A pretty name for a pretty lady.”  
  
Clementine continued to giggle, having to press the back of her hand to her mouth to keep herself in check. “And what about you? What’s your name?”  
  
There it was again, that soft _thump_ of his heart. If he could make a lady as fine as her laugh he must be doing something right. “Me? Oh, I’m Louis.” He said with high confidence.  
  
She stopped walking for a brief moment, her mind ticking over. “Wait, like the prince?”  
  
_Uh oh. That’s not good. Not good at all. If anyone found out I’d be a dead man!_ “What? The- the prince? Pfft, no, I’m a totally different Louis.”  
  
“Oh really?” Clementine spoke with a smug smirk, teasing him ever so slightly. “Then why are you wearing the royal colors?”  
  
_Curse you and your clever mind! And my fashion choices._ “N-No no! This uh- this is just a- a uh- different color!”  
  
“A different one?”  
  
“Yeah! Uh- usually the prince has dark purple, totally stupid, and look! Mine isn’t! It’s a different shade.” Louis was fluent in French, Chinese, could solve calculus equations at the drop of a hat but no, thinking of a lie is what he struggled most at.  
  
Clementine stared at him, knowing there was something he wasn’t telling her, but she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, if you say so.” Everyone in the village has their secrets, who was she to pry?  
  
_Oh thank god._ “Mhm, yep…” He popped the ‘p’, unable to make eye contact with her lest he reveal all the secrets and invite her back up to the castle.  
  
The two continued their walk in silence, them instead just stealing secret glances at one another. Soon enough chatter and laughter could be heard from afar, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the market. Louis had never seen such an alive community in his entire life. The bright colors, the crowds of people, the sight of children playing and running after each other. Louis’ heart grew warm at the sight…as if he belonged with them. He wanted to run out and go join those active kids and live a life he never got to live. 

“So, what do you do to earn money?”

The sound of Clementine’s voice summoned Louis back into reality, the boy glancing over at the girl beside him. He wasn’t expecting her to ask him questions like _that_. 

“Umm, pardon?” He played dumb.

Clementine tore her gaze away from the basket in her palms, looking at the freckled boy. “I asked what you do to earn money. Surely your job must give off good pay, since you did pay me an awful lot for a single pie.”

“Oh, well I uh…” Louis thought for a moment. _Think Lou, think. What’s a job that gives off a decent pay?_ “I uh… I act?”

“You? An actor?” The brunette let out a sweet chuckle. “Acting suits you.”

“It sure does!” Louis said proudly, adjusting his sleeve in a proper manner. “I uh... mainly do it at uh... old John’s tavern down the street! Yeah!” Was there a John here? Who knows? Certainly not Louis.

“John’s tavern huh?” Clementine couldn’t help but silently snicker into her hand. “Last time I remember his name was Robert.”

Fuck. There it was again! Her darn clever nature! “Oh- uhhh… really? Could have sworn his name was John…” He stared intently at a small candle on display, finding it so very interesting indeed.

Clementine continued snickering. “There’s no one here named John, Louis.”

Louis nervously laughed. “Right, right. I uh- I knew that.” Perhaps trying to lie to the girl who lived here wasn’t the best idea.

“Mhm, sure,” Clementine gazed off to the side. “Ooo look! Flour! I’ll only be a minute!” 

And with that, she was off, leaving Louis to venture around on his own. He slid his thumbs into the slim pockets of his pants, scanning his surroundings. He wanted to check out everything. All the surrounding stands begged him to stop by, and he honestly wanted to stop by them all. But he knew it would seem off to get a taste of everything. It could totally ruin his cover since Clementine was with him. So instead he settled at a flower shop across from the stand the brunette was at, gazing at the wide selection of bouquets and arrangements.

A certain set of flowers, however, striked his attention powerfully. It was so simple that it stood out amongst all the other arrangements, fresh roses and tulips bunched together so perfectly and secured together delicately with a strand of white lace. Sets of red and pink never went so well together up until this point. One more gift from him wouldn’t hurt, right? Of course not. It was the girl’s own fault, she made him feel so warm inside. He had to repay her! Plus it would be proper to offer such a kind lady a token, right? 

Louis was quick to rush over and pluck up the bouquet of flowers, handing the stand’s owner a couple of gold coins and strolling off to where Clementine was, missing sight of the salesperson’s wide eyes and hung open mouth at the amount the freckled boy paid for a single bouquet of flowers. 

His heart skipped a beat when the girl he was exploring with came into his eyesight. She was just finishing purchasing a sack of flour for the bakery, sending the salesman running the stand a thank you before seeing the boy walking towards her. The brunette shot him a smile, strolling on closer to him.

“There you are, thought I lost you for a moment-” Clementine paused in her sentence, her golden eyes widening to the bouquet of roses and tulips in his hands. “Jesus, that’s quite the bouquet.”

“Indeed it is,” Louis held it out towards her, a shy smile forming upon his face. “For you, fine lady.”

Clementine’s mouth hung ajar, hesitant to take the bunch of flowers. “I… for me?”

“Yep! For being- well, you.” He grinned. _And also for giving me one of the best days of my life despite knowing you for such a short period but hey who’s counting._

The girl smiled, reluctantly taking the bouquet. “They’re lovely… how did you know I love tulips?”

 _Oh hell yeah! Point for Louis!_ “Oh really? I did not know that.” 

Clementine let out a soft laugh, placing the bouquet in her basket with a gentle hand. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”  
  
“You’re very welcome.” Louis shot back sweetly.  
  
Clementine gave him another smile before looking around. “Would you, um…” She fidgeted with her foot while she stumbled with her words. “Would you like to walk around a bit more? I um- I really like your company, and I’d… I’d like to get to know you better. Since you know, I’ve never really seen you around before.” She knew everyone in the village, their name and occupation. Not only was this boy new, he was-in his own odd way-rather charming. A breath of fresh air from her usually routine.  
  
Every inch of Louis nagged at him to scream yes, but he kept that all to himself. “I’d love to! The village, and your company, is very nice. Especially your company.”  
  
“Oh stop it,” The brunette giggled, clutching the handle to her basket tightly as the two walked the streets of the town. “How did you gain such smooth compliments?”  
  
“It’s just instinct!” Louis spoke with pride. “I’ve also talked to uh… many ladies.” He mumbled, choosing not to mention all the princesses he’s had to speak to and court over the years.  
  
Clementine snickered. “That explains it.”  
  
“It does indeed,” Louis gazed around the surrounding sights before a certain question struck into his mind. “How long have you been working at that bakery? It looks to me you know basically everything that needs to happen.”  
  
“Me? Oh, I’d say almost my entire life,” She swayed her basket as she talked. “My parents died when I was still young so I spent a lot of time at the local church, when I was old enough to go off on my own I found the bakery abandoned. And then it just… stuck, you know?”  
  
“I’m sorry to hear about your parents,” Louis frowned at the news, unconsciously fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve. He cursed silently at himself for forgetting to put on a set of clothes that weren’t so obnoxious and elegant like the ones he wore currently. “That must have been awful living by yourself.”  
  
“Oh, it’s quite alright now,” Clementine chuckled when a group of young boys ran past the two of them, chasing after nothing. “I have AJ and his family.”  
  
Louis rose a brow. “AJ?”  
  
“He’s a little boy I sometimes watch whenever I’m not working. His parents work hard to make ends meet,” She paused in her unfinished sentence, thinking back on the day she first met him. “Even though I sometimes watch him when _I’m_ working.”  
  
The boy with dreadlocks laughed softly. “He sounds like a nice boy.”  
  
“He is,” Clementine adjusted her grip on her basket. “Mostly.” She quickly added. There were plenty of broken jars to prove it.  
  
Louis snickered at the girl’s confession. “Mostly?”  
  
“Oh hush, you try caring for a five-year-old whilst baking cookies!”  
  
Louis’ snickers turned into full belly laughter, raising his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. You win, ma’am.” He was an only child after all.  
  
Clementine simply rolled her eyes. “Thought so. And don’t call me ma’am, it makes me sound like I’m an old lady.”  
  
“I’ll remember that for next time.”  
  
The girl paused in her walking, shifting her gaze to look at him. “For… next time?”  
  
“Well, yeah,” Louis unconsciously stepped closer, their noses nearly touching. “I’d… I’d like to see you again sometime.” He could smell fresh cinnamon on her, wondering what other treats she had in store.  
  
Clementine shyly smiled, her shimmering, golden eyes staring into his gorgeously brown ones. “I’d like that too.”  
  
“Very well, m’lady,” He bowed his head slightly. “It’s a date-” His breath hitched to his own words. “I mean uh- it’s not a date really, just us getting together again, yes, that’s it.” He finished his stutter of words with a nervous chuckle.  
  
The brunette stared at the boy for a moment in pure silence before she broke off into a fit of giggles. She hadn’t laughed so much in her life. “Alright, if you say so.”  
  
“Certainly,” He fixed the collar of his shirt before his eyes suddenly caught sight of a tower in the middle of the town’s square, exquisitely showing off an ancient clock, in which the hands ticked over. “Where did the time go??”  
  
“Time flies by when you’re having fun,” Clementine slid the basket further up her arm, adjusting her grip to keep the flowers safe. “Why? Do you have somewhere to be?”  
  
_Yeah, my bedroom before anyone notices I’m gone._ “I- yes, unfortunately,” Louis sighed. He didn’t want to return back to the castle, yet his adventure beyond his home’s walls was just only beginning! He had to see her again, this day trip already proving what he already knew; there were people beyond his dull life that he desperately wanted to-needed to-meet. “I have uhh… a performance, yeah. A performance. Very soon actually. I’m playing… a prince!” He yanked his sash closer to her, trying to prove his lie. _Smooth._  
  
Clementine’s brows furrowed at his words. “A performance? But the village isn’t performing anything until next week.”  
  
_Oh no. This wasn’t good. Not at all_. “Oh, it’s uh- it’s in another town! Yes, another town.”  
  
“Really?” Clementine settled a hand onto her hip, raising a brow while a smug smirk formed on her face. Was he aware of how funny this was to witness? Louis gulped, feeling severely under pressure while he slowly nodded. “Well in that case, you should probably be leaving so you won’t be late.” She playfully bumped her shoulder with his, letting him off the hook this time.  
  
“Yes! Yes, of course,” Louis fixed the cuffs of his sleeves again. “I guess this is a goodbye then…”  
  
“Looks to be.”  
  
“We’ll see each other again soon, right?” Louis hoped she would say yes. He really wanted to see her again. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t question his feelings. If everyday could be like today he would never complain about life ever again. Of course, that means having Clementine in his life.  
  
“I’d love to see you stop by the bakery again,” Clementine shot him a smile, glancing down at the pie still in his grasp. “Maybe you’ll even get to meet AJ.”  
  
Louis gave her a smile back. “That would be nice. I’d like that a lot.”  
  
“He’d like you, he laughs at pretty much everything.”  
  
“Oh really?” Louis’ smile formed into a cheeky grin. “So that means he could possibly laugh at my fantastic jokes?”  
  
“Yeah, uh, no. He still has some taste,” Louis’s smile instantly turned into a dramatic pout, which made Clementine laugh at his plight.  
  
“That was rude of you!” He called out, clutching at his chest.  
  
She rolled her eyes, enjoying bantering with someone who matched her wits. “I was just joking!”  
  
Louis couldn’t help the snicker that escaped from his lips. He couldn’t stay fake mad at her. “Right. Anyways, um, I should really get going.”  
  
“Right, right,” Clementine looked to the grass at her feet, biting her tongue as it threatened to beg him to stay. “Well, um… goodbye.”  
  
“Goodbye for now, dear Clementine!” Louis sent the girl a wink. “We’ll meet again.” And with that, he ran off down the street and out of view, leaving Clementine alone in the streets, waving.  
  
He winked at her. He _winked_. Out of all the things Clementine expected to happen today, that was something she wasn’t expecting. It made her feel… funny on the inside. Like she had swallowed a dozen butterflies who were casually fluttering around in her stomach. Her numb fingers squeezed the handle to her basket, making sure she wouldn’t drop it.

She knew she was blushing, the blood from her cheeks pumped through her heart too, sending everything in her body racing. She didn’t care who saw. She let that warm, glowy feeling take control of her this time.  
  
Clementine turned on her heels and made her way back to the bakery, hoping to see him again someday. It could be tomorrow, it could be next week, it could even be years from now until she got to see the strange boy again. But no matter the passage of time, she wanted to see him again, truly. She wanted to see his smile, hear his laugh. Hear his soothing voice. Something about him made her instantly feel safe, how could someone _be_ the living embodiment of safety? It was new, unfamiliar, exciting in a weird way. And she wasn’t going to let that feeling go to waste anytime soon. 


End file.
